Paper box and like article.



No. 893,946. PATENTED JULY.21, 19078.

W. SOMERS. PAPER BOX AND LIKE ARTICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. 1907.

No. 893,946. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

W H. SOMBRS.

PAPER BOX ANDLIKE ARTICLE.

".APPLIGATION I'IL .28.1 07. EP JAN 9 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I 5+ ga L V -1 -Jj% P 4 2 I; ft v l WILLIAM HENRY SOMERS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PAPER BOX AND LIKE ARTICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed January 28, 1907. Serial No. 354,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY SOMERs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 87 Finsbury Pavement, in the county of London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper Boxes and Like Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for fastening together the overlapping parts of folding or collapsible boxes of the well-known kind or of other articles such as leather letter 'OELSGS.

According to my invention I provide in one of the overlapping parts to be connected i an inclined slit and I also make in the edge of the other part a slit of the same inclination, but of, say, half the length only, and forming a locking tongue or projection. To fasten the two parts together the corner of the second part is passed into the slit of the first part until the two slits are coincident with one another when the tongue on the second part looks or fastens the two parts together. The point of the tongue may be rounded if desired.

As above mentioned my invention is ap plicable to folding or collapsible boxes of all kindswhere it is necessary to lock or fasten overlapping pieces together.

To enable the invention to be fully under stood, I will describe it by reference to the accompanying drawing, in whioh:

Figure 1 is a view of two pieces of card or other material adapted to be locked together according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the two pieces secured together, and Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a folding box the overlapping parts of which are locked together in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 4 is a view of the complete box blank.

Fig. 4 shows the entire box blank made from one piece of sheet materialhaving right angled corners without cutting away or removing any part thereof. It can, therefore, be made from sheets of a selected material, with no waste whatever of the sheet after it is once cut to the proper size.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 a and b are the two parts of cardboard or the like to be locked together and c is the inclined slit which is made in the part a, (1 being the slit of the same inclination but of say, half the length which is cut in the part b.

To look the parts a and I) together the lower part of the latter or the locking tongue is passed through the slit 0 in the part (1 until the two slits c and d become coincident with one another, whereupon the tongue 6, which is formed by the slit d in the part I) bends inwardly, slightly behind the part in which is the slit 0. It is obvious that any force tending to withdraw the locking tongue, causes the same to engage the edge of the slit 0 in the side a, adjacent to the main body of the part b and so forms a lock to retain the two parts securely together. This is shown clearly in Fig. 2 in which the part b is pressed behind the part a and the locking tongue is thrust through the slit 0 and appears on the face of the part a.

In Fig. 3, which illustrates my improved locking means applied to a box, I have shown a box formed of a single blank but it is obvious that the several parts may be formed separately and oined together in any suitable manner. In the integral structure shown 1 designates the bottom of the box, 2, 2 the longitudinal sides thereof, the same comprising lateral extensions of the bottom,

- 1, and ends 3, 3 also formed by extensions of the bottom 1. 4, 4 designate longitudinal extensions at both ends of the sides 2, 2 and are each provided with a slit (1 forming the locking tongue 6 while the ends 3, 3 are provided with slits c c, the extensions 4, 4 and the ends 3, 3, being overlapped and interlocked in the manner already described. 5 designates the top of the box provided with the extensions 6 and 7, 7 which respectively form the front and end flaps of the cover of the box. at each end with an extension 8 provided with a slit d while the end flaps 7, 7, are each provided with a slit 0, said extensions 8, 8 and ends 7, 7, being overlapped and interlocked in the manner described.

It will be found that the slits 0 do not extend to the outer edge of the ends in which they are formed. Both ends of such slits are, therefore, closed and when the tongue e is passed through such slit, it is firmly held thereby.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that at the corners of the box proper and cover, the edges of the blank are cut into the folding line 93, ac, as at z, z in addition to being slitted at d, d, d. The part The flap 6 is provided of the blank from the line y to the bottom of the figure constitutes the body of the box, and the part above that forms the cover. The cover, it will be seen is connected with the upper edge of the rear side of the box so as to be turned down upon the top of the body to close the same or to be turned upward to open it when so desired. This cover has its main portion 5 provided with two end pieces 7 and a side piece 8, 6, 8. These sections when folded and locked-in the same manner as the sides and ends of the body of the box form depending parts which when the cover is turned down upon the main body pass down on the outside of the front side and ends of the box in a well known way. This secures the cover from being so,

easily raised as to be liable to accidental displacement and also serves to strengthen and protect the main body of the box.

Having now particularly described, and

ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the sameis to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a paper box or the like, the combination of two overlapping portions one of said overlapping portions having an angular slit therein extending from one-of its longitudinal edges to a point adjacent to the other longitudinal edge thereof, the other of said overlapping portion being provided with an angular slit therein extending from an edge thereof perpendicular to its longitudinal edge, said slit in said latter portion being of the same incline as said former slit and forming a locking tongue adapted to engage anedge of said former slit when said overlapping portions are interlocked, substantially as described.

2. A blank for a folding box or the like the portion for forming the body of the box, comprising a central section, lateral sections joined to the edges of said central section, certain of said lateral sections having a folding extension adapted to be folded upon the adjacent lateral section to form a corner, each of said folding extensions having an angular slit extending inwardly from its outer edge and forming a locking tongue and the adjacent lateral section having an angularly disposed slit extending from the line of its union with the said central section to a point adjacent to its outer edge, to receive the portion of the overlapping extension forming the locking tongue thereof, substantially as described.

3. A blank for a folding box or the like having a central section, lateral sections joined to the edges of said central section, and adapted to form the ends and sides of v the box, the side sections being provided at each end with an extension adapted to be folded upon the adjacent end section to form a corner, each of said folding extensions having an angular slit extending inwardly from the outer edge and forming a locking tongue,

, body of the box comprising a central section for the bottom of the box, and two side and two end sections, the side and end sectionsbeing separated from each other but connected with the central bottom section by a connection permitting said side and end sec-. tions to be folded at an angle to the bottom; the said side sections having slits in the ends thereof inclining towards the end sections and said end sectionsv having each two slitsextending from the folding line outward toward but not to the outer edge of said sections, said end slits inclining towards each. I

other, the slits of the sides and ends formin the locking means for holding the sides and ends in their folded position, substantially as described.

5. A blank for abox, the portion for the body of the box comprising a central section for the bottom of the box, and two side and twoend sections, the side and end sections being separated from each other butconnected with the central bottom section by a connection permitting said side and end. sec tions to be folded at an angle to the bottom,

the said side sections having slits in the ends thereof inclining towards the end sections and said end sections having each two slits extending from the folding line outward toward but not to the outer edge of said sections, said end slits inclining towards each other, the slits of the sides and ends forming the locking means for holding the sides and ends in their folded position, and a cover attached to the upper edge of one of the side sections of the box by a connection permitting the cover to be turned down to close the main,

body, or to be raised to open it, substantially as described.

6. A blank for a box, the portion for the body of the box comprising a central section for the bottom of the box and two side and two end sections, the side and end sections being separated from each other but connected. with the central bottom section by a connection'permitting said side and: end sections to be folded at an angle to the bottom, the said side sections having slits in the ends thereof inclining towards the end sections and said end sections having each two slits extending from the folding line outward, toward but not to the outer edge of said section, said end slits inclining towards each other, the slits of the sides and ends forming the locking means for holding the sides and same manner as the sides and ends of the ends in their folded position,'and a cover atbody of the box, substantially as described.

tached to the upper edge of one of the sides of the body of the box by a connection per- WILLIAM HENRY SOMERS' Initting the same to be turned down upon Witnesses:

and up from the box, said cover having a JOHN E. BOUSFIELD, side and end sections locked together in the A. ALTUTT. 

